Damned and Damask
by Endoh
Summary: “I don’t give a damn if you want to throw your life away for me,” Sasuke said coolly and began walking. “Neither do I.” And she followed him to Orochimaru. This is Sakura's path through the incubus of vengeance. SasuSaku —NC17 DARKfic GRAPHIC Content—
1. Chapter 1: The Accompanying ::REWRITE!::

**REWRITE: **I'm rewriting the first chapters of this story because they needed improvement. Sorry if it comes as an inconvenience to you, my wonderful readers, but I can't go on with the story until it's fixed. The process shouldn't take me too long, but I just can't stand to look at my story the way it was. :( Sorry, again!

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"I don't give a damn if you want to throw your life away for me," Sasuke said coolly and began walking away. "Neither do I."

Beta(s) for this chapter: Merridaine, Juniper11 (Thank you. You both are amazing betas, writers, and fanfic-buddies!)

Sasuke x Sakura

Rating: NC17 (Extremely dark themes, extreme violence/gore, extremely graphic, explicit sexual content/rape -NC17-)

The dark story of the twisted fate Sakura chose for herself when she decided to follow her love to Orochimaru, this story contains very dark, graphic, disturbing content. Not for those of you who want a fluff-fic. If you can see the beauty of a crushed soul, blood, gore, graphic sex, sadism, torture, the dark metamorphosis of an innocent bud into a tainted blossom, and tragic death, then you would most likely enjoy this story. Also, if you like a story with real literary techniques, you've found one.

I would like to reiterate one last time: _Damned and Damask _**is not for the faint of heart; this story is disturbing and not meant for those incapable of handling mature situations**.

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_This story shall be told from both Sakura's point of view (first person) and a limited omniscient point of view (third person)._

-

Jukebox (suggested song to listen to while reading; listening adds so much to the story, I think…): "Sadness and Sorrow" by _Toshiro Masuda _(links available on my profile)

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_Damned and Damask_

Part I:

Damask

ばら

Chapter 1:

The Accompanying

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My tears glowed luminescent in the moonlight. I didn't want to believe what was happening; I _couldn't_, but I had to. What was happening didn't seem real, perhaps because I longed for nothing more than for it to be a dream, some sort of abominable, horrific dream I would awaken from shortly. But it wasn't; I knew the hellish nightmare I was experiencing was truly reality, for the pain I was feeling surely would have been enough to wrench me from even the deepest of sleep.

I looked at him, just gazed at him carefully. I saw all I ever wanted; he was so beautiful: haunting, empty eyes I saw every night in my dreams and every day of training in actuality; skin pale and lovely enough to outshine the moon; long-fingered hands I hoped were capable of holding mine, hands I knew were capable of crushing my world. _He _was my aspiration—to be by his side, I mean. What he was doing would separate me from him, would kill my dearest hopes. _No_. It wasn't Sasuke's fault; nothing could ever be Sasuke's fault. What the damned _Snake_ had done would kill my dearest hopes. It had been months since that fateful day in the forest, and now the Viper's prophecy was coming to fruition.

"Sasuke-kun…" I took a sharp intake of air as my vision became more viciously blurred by cruel tears. I could barely distinguish the beautiful, black hair of the love of my life from the tranquil night sky. "I-I…" I swallowed quickly. What was it I could say to stop him? What was it I could say to convince him to stay? How could I arrange my words to ward off a prophecy foretold by a monster oracle so menacing, with a hiss so fearsome? There were only a few options left.

I was desperate, so I shouted much louder than I should have, with all of my pent up emotions, "I love you so much, Sasuke-kun! I've _always_ loved you!" I could tell I was babbling, but I couldn't hold my outburst in any longer; tears streamed down my cheeks faster and faster with every word I spoke. "If…if you stay…I-I'll make sure you won't regret it, Sasuke-kun! I'll make sure every day we spend together is happy!" I clutched at my chest; it ached glaringly. From harsh breathing or heartbreak, I cannot say. "I'll make sure you're happy, I promise you! There's nothing—_nothing_—I wouldn't do for you." It was true, and I would soon find out just how honest my statement was. I clamped my eyes shut in an attempt dam up the overflowing water.

Crying sickened me; I shouldn't have been crying around Sasuke. It was no wonder why he had always detested me. "I-I'm begging you to stay, Sasuke-kun! I'll even help you with your revenge!" I tried fervidly. "I'll…do _anything_ for you." I meant my words. "…So, please…stay with me! _Stay with me_!" My eyelids seemed to betray me and allowed more water to flow freely from my eyes; I broke down into piteous sobs. "If…if you can't-can't stay…"

I couldn't believe what I was about to say, and I still can't. The sentence I was about to utter was something I never would have dreamed of _ever_ coming out of my mouth until that very moment. A small quake ran through my lithe body, from my rose waves to the tips of my toes. Was I really about to do it?

_Yes_.

I inhaled slowly, clawing at composure, and I stared at his backpack; I knew I had to. I had to be with my love or my world would come crashing down around me; I couldn't let him face Orochimaru alone, and so I began my treason of Konoha with an airy whisper, almost inaudible:

"T-take me…with you."

I heard him let out a soft, dark chuckle, and it was like he reached into my body and wrenched out more tears. I despised myself. I hated myself. I loathed myself. How was it possible for me to have been so damn weak?

And then _I_ felt like laughing, laughing at how truly worthless I was.

He turned to face me, his hands casually slipped in his pockets and his shadowy eyes reflecting the iridescent moonshine off in my direction. He was an angel yet a demon; I never could figure out why he was such an anomaly.

"After all this time," he smirked, "you're still…_annoying_."

His words hit me with the magnitude of a mountain. A gasp flew from my lungs from the sheer agony his words caused me. My heart burst into a thousand pieces when I saw him take yet another step away from me—from his friends, from anyone who cared for him, from Konoha. I knew I had to take those same steps to be with my love, and I abhorred myself for not being strong enough to live without him. But I couldn't! I just couldn't even imagine the hell life would be if I was alone, and I _would _be alone if I was parted from Sasuke. Yes, I had friends and family, but I loved Sasuke more than anyone else. I couldn't explain it, no matter how hard I tried to. I still can't.

The love I had for Sasuke was an ancient one; it wasn't naïve or verdant—it was absolute and inescapable. A life without Sasuke would have been a life without the sun. And I was a planet, orbiting around the shining center of my universe; the luminous core of my world was Uchiha Sasuke. If he was to defect to the Sound, I would gravitate towards him, no matter the cost, which would be more gargantuan than anything I could have ever conjured up in my mind. There was simply no other choice—I would go wherever he went, just as the planets are forced into orbit. I could circle around my sun, sure—I could spin about him—but I knew if I tried to get too close to him, I'd burn up in flames. Somehow, just one touch seemed worth the prospect of scorching alive, and I would; I'd burn every day I spent with him.

"I-I know you're going to leave the village, Sasuke-kun." My voice was soft and gentle. Little rivulets cascaded down my chin. "I-I…" I paused and took in another large breath, trying to steady myself. "I want to-to go with you." As much as I tried not to, my confident tone still wavered and cracked. I took a step forward and tried again, "I am going to accompany you, Sasuke-kun." There. I said it without stuttering.

"I don't give a damn if you want to throw your life away for me," he stated coolly and began walking again.

I couldn't comprehend what he had just said. I didn't know to rejoice or bawl harder. He took another step towards the blinding moon and the Sound, and I knew I had to make up mind that second—to let him tumble alone into a hollow so black and horrendous just to grapple towards his heart's only desire…or to leave Konoha and never return.

It was suddenly so simple. Everything was suddenly so easy to articulate.

"**Neither do I**," I said with newfound comprehension and resolve, and the last tear I vowed to shed _ever_ again slid down my cheek and hit the ground.

But it wouldn't be the final; there were many more to come, for I had just begun my path through the incubus of bloodlust and vengeance.

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(Note: The Japanese characters at the beginning mean 'pink,' as does the word damask.)

Greetings, all! I sincerely hope you enjoyed this rewritten chapter, and I hope you shall continue to enjoy the rest of my story!

I probably got a touch overzealous with the paragraph about Sakura being a planet, but I'm also working on my next chapter of "He Was the Moon" (which is titled so because of a rather long comparison of Sasuke to the moon), and that short story tends to bring out my need for epic similes and metaphors. :D

It may not seem like this story is going to be a dark one with just this chapter, but I _implore _you to heed my warnings at the beginning of this chapter; it gets darker, a hell of a lot darker.

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Lastly, **it would mean the world to me if you would be kind enough to share your opinions of this newly rewritten chapter; I'd love any constructive criticism you can offer! The people who review EVERY, SINGLE chapter are just plain AWESOME! You guys are amazing!  
**

XOXO

Endoh


	2. Chapter 2: The Voyage

Hello, hello. Here's the rewritten, revamped version of **chapter two**.

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"I don't give a damn if you want to throw your life away for me," Sasuke said coolly and began walking away. "Neither do I."

Beta for this chapter: Juniper11

Sasuke x Sakura

Rating: NC17 (Extremely dark themes, extreme violence/gore, extremely graphic, explicit sexual content/rape -NC17-)

The dark story of the twisted fate Sakura chose for herself when she decided to follow her love to Orochimaru, this story contains very dark, graphic, disturbing content. Not for those of you who want a fluff-fic. If you can see the beauty of a crushed soul, blood, gore, graphic sex, sadism, torture, the dark metamorphosis of an innocent bud into a tainted blossom, and tragic death, then you would most likely enjoy this story. Also, if you like a story with real literary techniques, you've found one.

I would like to reiterate again: _Damned and Damask _**is not for the faint of heart; this story is disturbing and not meant for those incapable of handling mature situations**.

-

_This story shall be told from both Sakura's point of view (first person) and a limited omniscient point of view (third person)._

-

Jukebox: "Pieces" by _Sum 41 _(Fantastic band!)

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_Damned and Damask_

Part I:

Damask

ばら

Chapter 2:

The Voyage

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I _betrayed_ my village that night…for _him_.

I left my family, my friends, my home, and everything I knew…for _him_.

But was it a sacrifice? Would I regret it?

**Not ever.**

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I walked solemnly a few paces behind him that stygian-black night, gazing at his back and feeling myself gravitate towards him, my radiant, beautiful sun. I tried to keep my previous promise to myself, but I was staring at the _sun_, so my eyes watered—for him, for myself, for the past, for what could have been, and for what never would be. My childhood ended the second I spoke those fateful, treacherous words; all that existed now was a nightmare.

We passed by a small, insignificant puddle, but to me, it held the reflection of a _bitch_, a _whore_, a _rogue_ ninja, and a _foe_ of the Leaf. I felt my throat gag as I saw myself for who I was: my eyes swollen, bloodshot, and wet; my hair awry; a quivering, taught frown on my pink lips. I was leaving them all behind…for _him. _But never once did I question if he was worth it; never once did I see what I was doing as a sacrifice. Mother, Father, Kakashi, Naruto, Ino, Konoha—I was leaving them all behind to be with one, single person, to sell my soul—with him—to the devil, to hurl myself into a hell no _sane_ human being would willingly enter.

But I must have been insane, for Sasuke was far more important than all of them combined.

I could imagine all too clearly their astonished, horrified, shamed faces once they realized what I had done, but I pictured Naruto's agonized expression with the most clarity. His cerulean eyes would first glimmer with false hope and determination, but, soon enough, he, too, would realize that I was forever lost to him, that I was forever on a path of darkness he could never stride. He would suffer for me, and I would suffer for him. Why? Because I had left one friend in total darkness—a pitch-black loneliness so horrific, so hellish!—to keep another one out. But the one I left Naruto for was far more important than he could ever have been, could ever be. My realizations sent pangs of guilt and heartache through me, pain I knew so well I deserved. I _abhorred_ myself. I wished to throw up to get rid of the atrocious, abominable feeling in my stomach. That horrific sensation would only vanish with the years and the hardening, the solidifying of my heart.

But I could handle it, _would _handle it. I'd handle everything fate forced upon me; I knew I would, so I kept after him.

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It seemed like a silent eternity before we reached the first checkpoint of our—_our!_—long journey, a hill. Somehow, just realizing that we shared _something_, even if it led to our perpetual doom and damnation, made me feel connected to him again, and to be bonded to him was all I desired in the world. Every inch I traveled up that gargantuan mound was harder yet easier than the last, for every inch I traveled led me towards a fate I would share with Sasuke but away from my past life and what could have been. It was bittersweet in the cruelest of ways.

I stood, trembling, a few feet behind Sasuke after we made our way to the top of the tor, to the beginning of my new life, of _our _new life. There, atop the hillock, stood four shadows. They were Sasuke's escorts, I supposed. I was still too overwhelmed by what I had just done to even think of how we would make our way to the Viper; they were to lead us there. I correctly assumed they were Sound ninja by the way they dressed and the fact that they were _petrifying_ in a way similar to the Snake. I didn't dare ask Sasuke any questions, for I thought if he noticed I was still following him like the lost puppy I was, he'd surely send me away or even…harm me. I longed to dismiss the idea, but I wasn't completely blinded by him; I could still see the blatantly obvious, even though my eyes remained glued to the sun.

One of the escorts was a female, with hair similar in color to mine. Another was a gigantic male. One was a male with two heads. The last had _eight_ limbs. They all scrutinized me with deadly leers, and terror seeped into my soul faster and faster with every moment I had to take in their appearances, to glimpse only a fraction of the horrors awaiting my arrival at the lair of Orochimaru.

"We've been waiting for you, Sasuke-sama," the two-headed one spoke.

They were all so eerie; I hated it, and I didn't trust them for a second.

"When we left our village, it was decided you would become our new leader; forgive our rude behavior, Sasuke-sama." He paused and gave me an appraising, hateful glance. "Orochimaru-sama never mentioned there being _another_…"

Sasuke stood in a confident composure that kept me from collapsing into hysterics. "I don't care. Let's _move._" He closed his eyes and finished with a casual vindication: "Now it begins."

_Now _what_, exactly, begins? _I thought absently and continued my slow pace behind the group.

It was like I wasn't even there; the only ones who occasionally acknowledged me were the four shinobi escorts. I decided that as long as Sasuke didn't specifically tell me to get the hell away from him, I would follow quietly, would walk in his shadow, would silently trod his trail of self-destruction. I couldn't go back to the village at that point if I had wanted to; I knew that any one of the five ninja in front of me would annihilate me in less than a second, and that was the _only_ thing I was sure of.

In all honesty, I suppose that I _did_ know what was happening to me.

I was lost in a raging sea of confusion, panic, self-loathing, and impossible blindness; my voyage into a wild ocean of power, bloodlust, and vengeance had begun, and there was no turning back.

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I hoped you liked this chapter, my wonderful readers! It's a pleasure to receive such nice reviews, and I appreciate your taking the time to write them! It really makes my day to read them. (:

Anyways, thanks for reading, and **I hope you'll share your opinions of this chapter with me! I'd love any constructive criticism or praise you could throw at me! **

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**IMPORTANT! IMPORTANT! **

I'd like to make a proposition! Since I am rewriting/altering/editing the first version of _Damned and Damask_, I'd like to, obviously, improve it. So here's my proposal: Suggest improvements or changes you'd like to see in the storyline. One previously suggested is this: "Write a few chapters in Sasuke's point of view." How would you feel about that? If enough people say they are for a little bit of Sasuke POV, then I might just figure out a way to get in here. If the majority of people want it to remain in Sakura POV, then it shall.

Is there something you'd like to see in _D&D _that previously wasn't included? Here's your chance to tell me and (POSSIBLY) see it in writing. Include it in a review or a private message! (:

Thank you, my dear readers.

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Oh, and to Kelly who reviewed with the following: "U use 2 many big words.."

Well, sorry, I guess. LOOK THEM UP. You're on the internet already, so go an online dictionary to or something! Don't complain to me about my diction! I mean, I didn't even use _ANY_ outlandish words! I do that to keep the voice of the story sounding as though Sakura was really writing it! If I actually did use outlandish words, then the story wouldn't be as personable! Argh.

Sorry for the rant... :/

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XOXO

Endoh


	3. Chapter 3: The Foe

"I don't give a damn if you want to throw your life away for me," Sasuke said coolly and began walking away. "Neither do I."

Beta(s) for this chapter: Juniper11

Sasuke x Sakura

Rating: NC17 (Extremely dark themes, extreme violence/gore, extremely graphic, explicit sexual content/rape -NC17-)

The dark story of the twisted fate Sakura chose for herself when she decided to follow her love to Orochimaru, this story contains very dark, graphic, disturbing content. Not for those of you who want a fluff-fic. If you can see the beauty of a crushed soul, blood, gore, graphic sex, sadism, torture, the dark metamorphosis of an innocent bud into a tainted blossom, and tragic death, then you would most likely enjoy this story. Also, if you like a story with real literary techniques, you've found one.

-

_This story shall be told from both Sakura's point of view (first person) and a limited omniscient point of view (third person)._

-

Jukebox: "Untouched" by _The Veronicas_

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_Damned and Damask_

Part I:

Damask

ばら

Chapter 3:

The Foe

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It was very much a blur. We traveled so quickly, further and further away from the village, and no words were spoken except orders for me to keep up and shut up. I tripped and stumbled in my efforts to compete with the group's fast pace, the wind and branches whipping and lashing at my skin, as if my conscience was somehow controlling my surroundings.... But I managed.

And suddenly, we stopped. I inched my way closer to Sasuke and away from our menacing escorts, but I was careful not to venture _too_ near. He continued to act as if I didn't exist, and I still don't know why it surprised me.

_Am I so unimportant to him that he can't even acknowledge me?_

My dismal thoughts were interrupted as the two-headed one began to speak. "This looks like a good place, ne?" He waited for his teammates to nod, and Sasuke eyed him carefully. "We're far enough away from Konoha." His tone told me he was hiding something, and I didn't like it at all.

"What is it?" Sasuke demanded, clearly irked.

"We have one final order from Orochimaru-sama…" the one with two heads spoke again.

The other three formed a circle around Sasuke and me; I began to shake slightly, wondering what the hell they were going to do to us.

"And I'm asking you what the hell it is!" Sasuke's tone clearly led on to how extremely pissed off and impatient he was becoming.

The Sound nins smiled, bearing their angular teeth, and the vocal, two-headed one answered with a sinister grin,

"You must **die** once…"

"Hahahh!" I gasped; my eyes grew wide with trepidation, and my breath caught in my throat. "W-what?!" I _had _to have misheard. Images of Sasuke's bloody, beaten corpse cavorted through my mind, mocking me with their realness. With every moment, my tortured imagination produced more and more sickening ideas; I felt my throat gag at the thoughts. After all I had just done—I had _deserted _my village!—Sasuke was going to _die_?! I couldn't let it happen; I refused. If they attacked him, I would throw my body in front of any blow they dealt.

I would _not _allow him to die without first fighting to the death to save him. I would give my life to save his so easily for a very simple reason: I could not bring myself to live without him.

Was I naïve? Was I deluded? Was my vision clouded? Absolutely.

"You're telling me to die once?" Sasuke almost sounded intrigued by the proposition, but I was timorous.

I watched, aghast, as the one I decided I disliked the most—the one with two heads—yanked a tiny glass bottle out of his pocket.

"Seishingan," he said. "You need to take one of these, Sasuke-sama."

"What the hell is that?" Sasuke's tone was wary, as it should have been.

"Your current Seal level is one, and that capsule will forcefully take you to level two," the one with magenta hair spoke disdainfully, and I found myself disliking her more than the one with an extra head.

The extra-headed one spoke again: "The level two Seal dramatically increases its contamination speed…. If we don't do anything, you die."

I gulped again; my mouth went dry as he repeated that despicable word. _Die…Die…_Die_?! Sasuke-kun _cannot_ die! _His last words bounced around in my mind, and my heart rate increased tenfold. My muscles twitched slightly in preparation; I was fully ready to do _anything_ to save him.

"In other words," he continued, "in order to gain a level on your Cursed Seal, your body needs some time to get adjusted to the level two Curse. And with the level two Curse, you will most likely posses the same amount of power as us." He spoke that one key word—_power_—and I swear I saw a ferocious glint, a demonic glimmer appear in Sasuke's eyes.

But that same flicker would appear in my eyes sooner than I ever could have imagined.

"When the Seal is awakened to level two, there will only be a few minutes until you 'die.' Your 'death' shall be temporary, of course."

Sasuke and I both stood stricken, but Sasuke asked calmly, "What will happen after I die?"

I felt like hyperventilating, but, thankfully, I only let out a small, pitiable whimper.

"Don't worry," the Sound ninja scoffed mostly to me and extended the bottle to Sasuke. "That's what _we're_ here for. Our Barrier Jutsu will reduce the side effects of the curse from death to temporary coma." He placed the jar in Sasuke's eager hands.

I could feel tears welling up in my eyes again, but I held them back to keep my promise…and I had to stay poised for defensive action.

"How reliable are your barrier skills?" Sasuke accused.

"Sasuke-sama, we, the Sound Four, usually guard Orochimaru-sama, so our skills are strongest in seals and barriers," the eight-armed one said cockily.

I saw Sasuke flip the cap off the bottle. _Don't cry! Don't cry! Don't cry! _I told myself not to, but a tear slid down my cheek; I heard the girl cackle at me. _Damn it! _I cursed myself for not having the strength to keep a simple promise to myself, and the ruthless trembles returned to my body. Sasuke's hand neared his mouth, and I couldn't help but whisper, "Sasuke…kun…be careful…."

That sentence caused the entire Sound Four to burst out into an odious laughter. My words didn't stop Sasuke, and he dropped the tablet in his mouth. Almost immediately, I thought my worst nightmare was happening right before my eyes; the horrific visions that had been dashing through my head just moments before were occurring in reality!

"_Aagh_! Urgh…!" Sasuke choked and fell to the ground, convulsing and groaning.

I took a horrified step backward in an attempt to steady myself. "Sasuke-kun!" I shrieked.

Before I could comprehend the situation, the girl backhanded me with enough force to send me flying into a solid tree, and my vision slowly became edged with black from the impact. I promptly moaned in pain and slumped over.

Sasuke wasn't the only one who needed the power Orochimaru promised.

"Hurry up, idiots, or Sasuke-sama is gonna flip!" I thought I heard one of them say.

"Alright, get ready!" one of them yelled. Who, I couldn't tell, for my vision was becoming darker and darker.

_I cannot pass out! I must stay awake for Sasuke-kun!_ I ordered myself, and the murkiness of my sight retreated some, mercifully. I held my head up just in time to see Sasuke's limp body being lowered into a large barrel.

"Let's begin!" the two-headed on shouted, and an eruption of smoke engulfed us.

"Shikokumujin!" they all screamed, and the thick smoke swirled into the cylinder.

A trickle of blood made its way down my forehead and into my eyes, temporarily blinding me. I heard them yell something and the fluttering of paper as I hurriedly wiped the sanguine, burning fluid away.

Could this really be happening? Were my greatest fears becoming palpable right before my blurred eyes? Was I losing Sasuke before I even had him?

Apparently I blacked out for a second or a minute or an hour—I cannot say, even now. Eventually, however, I woke up enough to see the bright pink hair of the Sound girl. She came right up to me and cackled coldly in my face. "We've tolerated your presence long enough, girl. We have orders only to bring Sasuke-sama with us, so it's the end of the road for you. Heheheh. I cannot _wait_ to kill y—"

"Tayuya! Leave her! We're wasting time!"

And with that, she proceeded to take a fistful of my blood-sodden locks and slam my head against the tree trunk, effectively knocking me out cold. I _really_ didn't like that bitch.

-

I ultimately awoke to a stabbing, _searing_ ache in the back of my skull.

"Damn it!" I cursed under my breath as I winced and then slowly opened my eyes to the dim, ginger light of the lazy sun. "_Shit_!" I had _never_ uttered such foul words before then; the hex Sasuke had unwillingly cast upon me was too powerful for my own good, and I was _well_ aware. "Sasuke-kun…I swear I'll be with you! I swear on my life, I will never let you be alone!" I took what I hoped would be a cleansing, calming breath and attempted to collect my thoughts; I was focused again. "Alright…I'm alive. Time…time! What time is it?" I searched for the sun through the tree branches as I absently picked at the dried blood on my forehead, and then I quickly gasped at my dismal discovery: I had been out of it for at _least_ three hours or even an entire _day_ for all I knew! _Sasuke could already be with Orochimaru!_ I thought in a frenzied panic._ He-he could be hurt! O-or…he could be…_dead_!_ Tremors consumed my body; I could no longer control the movement of my limbs. My fit ended as quickly as it began, for I realized I had to move to be with Sasuke-kun. I ordered myself to calm down as I clawed at the tree trunk and yanked myself up quickly…apparently a little _too_ quickly, for I lost my balance and promptly toppled over. I tried again and succeeded. For Sasuke, I would be strong.

It was moments like those that I wished I had a bloodline limit that could help me with tracking; I had almost _no_ idea where to start or what to do. I took another deep breath, and finally, my mind began to clarify.

_I need to continue in this direction, and hopefully I shall catch up with them. After all, they are going to be slowed down by their number, and they're carrying Sasuke-kun; plus, I have good control of my chakra, so I can focus it to my feet. Once I find them, I'll trail behind just far enough away not to be noticed. I still have a chance! …But eventually somebody in Konoha is going to notice. If a Leaf shinobi catches up with me, how do I explain myself?! _I argued within my head._ Okay…okay… I could just tell them I was trying to stop Sasuke-kun from leaving! Yes! That's it...that'll work. Of course they would believe _me_, innocent little Sakura-chan; they have no reason not to! And then I'll just continue on in my search!—_There it was again, that longing to throw up. I couldn't believe how I was thinking; my thought process was near _diabolical_. Had I really changed _so_ much in so little time? It sickened me and frightened me to no end, but I _had_ to be with my love. To be with him, I had to transform myself.—_And as a precaution, I'll stay just off of the trail as I follow them. _I could do this; I had to. My self-orchestrated pep talk won me over, and I sprang off into the branches, in the direction of my love.

-

Bright and early in the Hokage's office_…_

"Nara Shikamaru! I called you into my office today for a search and rescue mission! This is way over-ranked, considering this is just your first assignment as a chuunin, but we are a little short on shinobi right now. I apologize. It will be dangerous, I'm sure. I wish I could explain in more detail, but time is of the essence! Listen carefully as I brief you on your mission." Tsunade took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Haruno-san reported her daughter hadn't come home last night and immediately began a frantic search for her," Tsunade desolately began the summary of the night's previous events. "She couldn't find Sakura, so she pestered me until I sent out one of our few available trackers…. And what they found…it's disturbing." She paused to take a deep breath while Shikamaru tried to hide his alarm.

_What is she talking about?! _What_ happened?_

"In short, the tracker-nins found evidence that _both_…Haruno Sakura and…Uchiha Sasuke…" Tsunade took a quick gulp of air, and she realized she had to get herself under control; she _was_ the Hokage and had to set an example! It was just so difficult! "…They _left_ the village."

"What?" Shikamaru demanded. He had been expecting some sort of enemy attack on the village, where people were taken captive or something similar, but _two_ of his fellow shinobi _**willingly**_ _leaving_ the village, committing _treason_?! He could barely fathom the cold, stoic Uchiha leaving, but _Sakura_?! It seemed impossible.

"And then the two met up with four foreign ninja, most likely of the Sound and sent on..." she spat the name of her old teammate, "_Orochimaru's _orders…."

Shikamaru couldn't find words to respond with.

"We are absolutely sure the ones accompanying Sasuke and Sakura are armed and dangerous. However, the tracker didn't find a _single_ trace of evidence supporting a struggle…." The Hokage sighed sadly. "So, we are forced to accept this as a case of…_sedition_." She hated using that term, but it was the truth. "This sort of thing hasn't happened in a long time, Shikamaru…" _Damn Orochimaru! Damn him to hell! He'll burn indefinitely once he finally _dies_!_

"Troublesome… So troublesome…" the new chuunin mumbled.

"Yes, it most certainly is, but it's _your_ job to bring them back. Gather four more to follow your command and brief them on the information I have given you; meet by the gate in three hours. Go!"

And with that, the young chuunin left the Hokage's office to gather his team.

"So…_fucking_…troublesome."

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Yo! So, I decided to combine a few chapters…'cause I realize this 'filler' nonsense could be a touch boring (actually, I _know _it is because I was bored to death while revising it!), but it _must _be written for the sake of the believability of this fic. (: I swear to you, _Damned and Damask _shall pick up the pace soon! …Especially if I keep combining the ridiculously boring stuff. :D Actually, the very next chapter gets us where we want to be!

Thanks so much for reading, and please continue your awesome suggestions for the story! I love hearing from you guys! (:

XOXO

Endoh


	4. Chapter 4: The Transmogrification

"I don't give a damn if you want to throw your life away for me," Sasuke said coolly and began walking away. "Neither do I."

Beta(s): Juniper11

Sasuke x Sakura

Rating: NC17 (Extremely dark themes, extreme violence/gore, extremely graphic, explicit sexual content/rape -NC17-)

The dark story of the twisted fate Sakura chose for herself when she decided to follow her love to Orochimaru, this story contains very dark, graphic, disturbing content. Not for those of you who want a fluff-fic. If you can see the beauty of a crushed soul, blood, gore, graphic sex, sadism, torture, the dark metamorphosis of an innocent bud into a tainted blossom, and tragic death, then you would most likely enjoy this story. Also, if you like a story with real literary techniques, you've found one.

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_This story shall be told from both Sakura's point of view (first person) and a limited omniscient point of view (third person)._

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Jukebox: "Break Me Down" by _Red _

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_Damned and Damask_

Part I:

Damask

ばら

Chapter 4: The Transmogrification

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Naruto had been shocked speechless when Shikamaru told him the news of the desertion of both of his beloved teammates, his cherished comrades, his adored friends.

"Uh…Well…I-I'll see you guys wh-when it's time to go," he quietly excused himself from the group and walked slowly, dejectedly away. _They're gone… Both of them are gone? Sasuke! Sakura-chan! Why?! I-I don't understand! Sasuke maybe, but _Sakura_ leaving?! No! It's a lie! She wouldn't have left without a fight! She seemed fine last night at Ichiraku's…. She would _not_ have done this to me, to the village!_ He barely stopped himself from letting out a choked sob as the first of his tears slid down his bronzed cheeks. Betrayal was all he could feel. _I'll bring them both back if it's the last thing I ever do! No matter what, they're my friends! I _will_ bring them back, _both_ of them. _

"Alright… Kiba, Choji, Neji, we'll meet back here in two hours. Be prepared and bring all you've got to defend yourself with." Shikamaru glanced towards Naruto's softly shaking form as he stumbled down the lonely road. "Troublesome… I'll make sure he's here on time. Go!"

-

I had just narrowly avoided a battle between the Sound Four and some Leaf ninjas. I didn't know who they were or how many of them were there, but I sensed their chakra _just_ in time to create enough distance between us so that I wouldn't be noticed.

I sat on a tree branch, leaning my drained body against the rough trunk as I panted, my eyes fully agape. My nerves were fried from an overload of adrenaline gushing into them. The factor of time seemed to be minute and trivial right then. Again, that nauseous feeling crept back into the pit of my stomach.

_I'm really doing this, then? I'm really a rogue ninja, now? I just succeeded in avoiding the…enemy. Did I really just think of my home village as the _enemy_, the other _side_?_ _I'm really on the run, now._ _What am I turning into? _No. _W__hat am I _already_?_

_A monster…_

I tried to focus on resting for a moment, for I sensed Sasuke's transporters had stopped. I hoped to god that they wouldn't hurt him, and I reminded myself that Orochimaru _did_ appear to need him alive or the Sound would've annihilated him the second they saw him; it calmed me slightly…but not nearly enough.

_Alright, _think_. Who could Tsunade send out?_

I searched my mind for answers, but I had no idea. As I continued my frenzied pondering, I almost found myself plummeting fifty feet out of the tree: I sensed **_Naruto's_** chakra nearing, but he was still far, far away.

_Naruto! Anybody but _him! _Damn it!_

The feeling of self-loathing was beginning to grow far too familiar to me.

_I deserve to feel this way; I left him for Sasuke-kun… But I had no choice! My life without Sasuke-kun… It's hell! If I'm not with him…I'll go mad._

It was the miserable, miserable truth; I was so reliant on Sasuke that my very _sanity_ depended on him.

He involuntarily held my mental stability and the rest of me in his long-fingered hands.

I decided it would be in my best interest to continue in the direction I was heading and to continue skirting the four Sound ninja; that way, Naruto and those with him couldn't sense my presence, and I could avoid the impending batt—_Shit! What if Naruto and his team ambush the Sound?! Sasuke could get injured! …Naruto could get injured…_ There was nothing I could do to help that; I decided the best thing for me to do was avoid both teams of ninja. I picked myself up from the tree branch and bounded off, being very careful to keep a safe distance between myself and the two squads and conceal my presence the best I could.

-

"Naruto, you _baka_!" Kiba growled. "If you hadn't worn same fucking clothes from last night, Akamaru and I might have been able to follow Sakura's scent!"

"I-I-I'm sorry, Kiba! I'll just take them off!" Naruto wailed as Akamaru nipped at his ankles while they jumped from tree to tree.

"That won't do us any good, dumbass! Her scent is all over you! …And _nobody _needs to see that!"

"I didn't know that I had picked up her scent just from dinner! Just please get your dog _off_ me!"

Shikamaru shook his head and muttered a few curses.

"Shut up, both of you," Neji ordered callously. "We still have Sasuke's scent and _my_ technique."

-

"Neji! Can you tell if the targets are in the barrel?" Shikamaru murmured as they crouched behind a thick bush, readying for their attack.

"Sasuke is, but I don't see Sakura anywhere," he said as he scanned the terrain with his ivory pupils.

"Damn..." Naruto whispered sullenly. _Where _are_ you, Sakura-chan?_

-

It seemed like only a matter of minutes before I felt the harsh vibrations of explosions and heard the piercing yells from both opposing sides. I couldn't help but find my eyes tearing up.

_Friends I grew up with could very well die because of _me_. I'm unworthy of any bloodshed…._ The thought threatened to disband my determination, but my heart was set on Sasuke. _Stay focused! Don't think about them; think only of who truly matters! _I told myself as I felt three of the four Sound nin begin to move again.

Their lives were expendable to me if it meant I could be with Sasuke.

I continued to play the stealthy, nerve-racking game of keep-away until I noticed Naruto's team had slowly disappeared, and the Sound four had diminished, too. (How the hell did Neji miss me? They must have noticed I wasn't in the barrel with Sasuke. I suppose I just had some sort of twisted _luck_ on my side that day and managed to stay out of his line of vision until he was taken out. Or maybe my chakra was already so expended that it was nearly invisible; my weakness, for once, could have assisted me.) I heard all of their battles loud and clear, but I didn't actually witness any. I don't know if I could've taken it if I saw people from my old village falling right before me. I hated how I was referring to Konoha as my 'old village' or 'home village'. My thoughts were repulsive; _I _was repulsive; the _thing _I was becoming was repulsive. But this was all for Sasuke. _Everything_ was expendable for Sasuke.

-

If Kimimaro had entered the battle from _my_ direction, my story would have ended right then and there, but he didn't. Eventually, I felt Sasuke's chakra traveling further away from me, along with Kimimaro's; I made sure to avoid the battle between Naruto, Shikamaru, and Tayuya as I sprinted after my love. I wasn't sure if they weren't aware I was following them…or if they just plainly didn't consider me a threat, but I was all too pleased to accept either.

I hurried after Kimimaro, and I probably should have been more concerned for my own safety. Love is truly blind. And I was certainly blind to any danger or sacrifice when I had Sasuke in my sights. Little did I know that Naruto was right on my tail, for his chakra had fused with that of the Kyuubi and was unrecognizable to me. I knew some_thing_ with a huge amount of malevolent, bloodthirsty chakra was behind me, but I was already dashing full speed to my love; I couldn't accelerate anymore. I was running on fumes, but I wouldn't be separated from him!

-

I perched in yet another tree to watch the battle of Naruto and Kimimaro commence, but I was really only eying the coffin encasing my beloved. Kimimaro sent eerie tingles down my spine; his cold, dead eyes tortured me because they were so similar to Sasuke's. He was a _poltergeist _with his pale skin and downy hair, and his daunting, lifeless eyes haunted me. He was blatantly powerful, and I didn't _want_ to see Naruto die before my eyes…. It pained—though less than it previously had…—me to think it, but, I really cared only for the well being of Sasuke—the man who treated me like I was worthless rubbish for as long as I knew him—rather than for the friend that had always, _always_ been kind to me.

I watched in a horrified awe as Naruto's canines protruded from his lips, his whisker-like marks became more pronounced, and a hot, fiery aura formed around him. I couldn't exactly hear their conversation from where I was, but I certainly could see their actions. Naruto summoned an army of clones, and I was blown away by their sheer quantity. Where had all this power emerged from? Surely Naruto hadn't possessed all of this the entirety of my knowing him! I gazed, horrorstruck, as the battle unfolded before me. The Sound ninja literally extracted his _own_ bones and flung them about as swords! I ended up having to frequently squeeze my eyes shut and cover my ears, hoping that it would make the guilt go away; my futile attempts were of no avail.

_Naruto…I'm…_sorry_._ My heart ached to see him acting like he was possessed by some monster! _That's not the Naruto I know! What happened?! _But my concern for him was slowly growing ever more muted….

Soon enough, _more_ hot rivers flowed down my cheeks as I began to blubber. I had made my choice! I had chosen Sasuke…! So then why was I feeling such an agony still? My sobs were on the verge of becoming hysterical when I saw gigantic plumes of purple smoke erupt from the cylinder containing Sasuke. My crying ceased immediately as I strained my eyes to see more from behind my protective bough. I gasped in equal worry and odd excitement when I saw the seals on the lid burst open. I was as intrigued as I was anxious….

"Gwaaaah!" I gasped softly as I saw a _thing_ jump out. It had a long, dark mane, gray skin, and the—_That emblem… It's the…_Uchiha _crest?!_ _Oh my god! That-that-that's _Sasuke_-kun?!_ My breathing morphed into rasps, and I felt like my lungs had become porous. I shook dangerously. _No! No! _No_! They turned him into…into some-some sort of _monster_! What have they done to you, Sasuke-kun!?_

Was it fate? Was Team Seven destined to consist purely of demons?

Finally, I saw his long, beautiful body begin to return to normal, and I settled down. As I peered out from behind the cover of the leaves, I saw Naruto yell something to Sasuke, but his back was turned away from the both of us. I couldn't tell if Sasuke replied, but I saw him shaking with cruel, bitter laughter and making vicious gestures. My heart lurched upward when I saw him jump into the air. My body, almost involuntarily, threw itself from the tree in hot pursuit of my love. I stumbled and tripped as I sprinted feverishly through the swaying field where Kimimaro and Naruto stood, my tears flying off my face and glistening in the bright sun.

As I passed my ex-teammate, time seemed to slow. It felt like a small perpetuity as I stood in mid-step within an inch of the obnoxious, tangerine jacket I wished I wouldn't miss so dearly; I almost smiled at his astonished face; he was so happy to see me…and so trusting. I couldn't look him in the loving, innocent, cerulean eyes, or I might have faltered. I hung my head low for that split second; my heart shattered for what seemed like the millionth time in that short period, but I felt a rather significant tear glide down my face—a tear shed _solely_ for Naruto. I managed to swiftly whisper one _single_ sentence:

"_I-I'm sorry_…" And as quickly as it was said, I left him _again_ for _Sasuke_.

"Sakuraaaaa!" I heard him yell after me. "Sakura-chan! Wh-where are you going?! C-come back! _Sakuraaaa_!" Naruto shrieked. I could hear the pure agony in his voice—the betrayal and disbelief….

_Don't listen! Just keep running! You made your choice! _I told myself, but I couldn't _not_ listen. His words sunk into my soul and chilled me to the bone. They managed to obliterate the dam I had mentally reconstructed, and the water streamed out uncontrollably…again. Could I ever keep my promise? It seemed unlikely.

I continued my hysterical dash through the tall grass, thrashing about madly, until Naruto was too far away for me to hear his torturous tone; I could finally breathe again and focus on what _truly_ mattered: Sasuke.

_Where is he?!_

I swung my head circumspectly, taking in my environment: rocky hills surrounded by dense forest.

_There!_

I finally spotted him bounding up a great stone formation. I was so exhausted, but I forced my limbs to pull my body up after him. I felt Naruto closing in on me, and I exerted all my remaining will and strength into my steps.

"Sa-Sasuke-kun!" I shouted through wheezes. "W-wait!" Did I really expect him to do that? What a ridiculous thought! I watched his inky hair disappear when he jumped down from the ridge, and I felt the thin skin of my fingertips shred as I staggered down to the rough, rigid surface of the jagged boulders; it was a deserved pain. I struggled after him and finally made it over what felt like a mountain. I could sense Naruto right behind me and gaining; I had to hurry.

At last, I caught up to Sasuke, and my head was spinning. Not just from the excitement, shame, adrenaline, pain, and fatigue, but from the gigantic scene around me. I stood on the head of an enormous, regal-looking ninja that formed one part of a grand, ominous waterfall, and Sasuke stood on another stone shinobi—a malevolent ninja I would eventually meet…. I realized what I had to do, and dread hit the bottom of my stomach, _again_. I had to jump across a raging, deadly waterfall to be with my love. Compared to everything else I had done in just a matter of hours—hear the screams of dying shinobi, betray my friends and village, narrowly escape numerous battles and my own demise—it should've been nothing to me! Yet I was still frightened, yet I was still a little girl; my transmogrification into a fiend wasn't yet complete. I inhaled deeply and realized I needed to stop wasting time and just do it before Sasuke left without me and Naruto caught up! Right as I thought of the blonde shinobi, I heard his voice behind me.

"Sasuke! Sakura-chan!" he yelled, his voice trembling with an agonyI so easily recognized.

I flinched at the sound of my name; the remorse I felt spurred me away from Naruto and towards Sasuke. I concentrated all my remaining energy and chakra to my feet and flew. As my flailing body neared the middle of the great ravine, time froze again. All of my old, cherished memories flooded my mind, and I realized everything I was leaving behind. Once my feet touched the ground again, my decision would be permanent (but it already was). I realize now that it was quite symbolic. I was hovering between two sides of a gulch—two shinobi, two worlds—and over an abyss promising imminent death.

_Kakashi-sensei…Naruto…Ino…Mother…Father…_Konoha_…I'm sorry_. No amount of silent apologies would make my actions and choices acceptable or okay, and I knew this. _Goodbye…._

The soles of my sandals finally hit the hard, unforgiving stone of the side I had chosen for myself; it was my decision and mine alone. I had only myself to blame for whatever consequences awaited me, and there would be many, far more than I care to recollect.

"Sa…Sasuke-kun…I finally…finally caught up with you!" I tried, attempting to sound cheerful through the anguish. I didn't actually expect him to respond, and he certainly didn't; he just stood with his back to me. He strode forward, and I immediately did the same.

"Are you just going to walk away?!" Naruto roared. "Is that it?!"

_Yes, Naruto_, I answered him silently, _this is it._

Sasuke slowly began to face Naruto and me. I shuddered and almost fell backward off the cliff when I saw the evil remnants of the creature he had been only moments before. I couldn't help but take a stunned step back when I saw the black, flame-like marks on his lovely face and the disturbing yellow iris of his eye.

"Hey, dumbass," Sasuke said coolly.

Naruto shared my reaction.

"Heh. Don't bother me anymore, Naruto." He gazed dully at Naruto's distraught face.

"Oh? What's with the grim stare?" he scoffed.

I found myself not being able to look at either of them, so I just made my way slowly to the sidelines and stared morosely at the cracked and fissured ground. How strangely symbolic it all was!

"Sasuke…" Naruto choked out, remembering the good and bad times he had shared with Sasuke and me. "What…what made you like this?! …_Why_?!"

"This has nothing to do with you," Sasuke stated simply.

"What?!" Naruto demanded loudly. "Of course it does! You convinced Sakura-chan to run away from the village!"

"Naruto," I said quietly, "I…I chose to leave…. Sasuke did nothing at all to encourage me to…." I saw his expression quickly change from fury to a look fit for someone who just had a kunai shoved down their throat.

"Sa…Sakura-chan…? No… Not you, Sakura-chan. Not _you_…!" He whispered. "No, no, _no_!" I guess he thought if he repeated himself enough that it would be true.

"I have my own path," Sasuke began. "And I won't let anyone lead me elsewhere. Heh, Sakura just decided to follow behind in my tracks."

I could see Naruto's face twist and contort into rage, but I could only nod solemnly, painfully: Sasuke spoke the truth.

"Let me make this clear to you…" Sasuke paused momentarily. "I'm through playing games with Konoha. The only thing that matters now is my ambition. Go home."

He didn't mention anything at all about me; I wasn't surprised.

Naruto looked like he was going to collapse from shock. "Everybody…everybody risked their lives for you!"

"Good for them."

Sasuke swung around and began walking again; I, of course, followed. It seemed like all I ever would do—just be led by someone else.

"Don't you dare talk about your comrades like that!" Naruto rumbled as he hurtled over the water.

Sasuke turned around just in time to smirk as Naruto plummeted directly into his chest.

I gasped loudly and covered my mouth when I saw them skid backward at least fifteen feet. I watched Naruto draw his arm back and drive a fist into Sasuke's pale, beautiful face, and I winced when I heard the blow and saw crimson blood spatters spew. I realized how ironic it was—old teammates and best friends fighting each other. For old times' sake, I, of course, stood on the sidelines.

Sasuke spat sanguine spittle into Naruto's face. "Did I get any stronger staying with those 'comrades'?" He glared directly into Naruto's fuming, blue eyes. "I'm going to Orochimaru."

Naruto grabbed Sasuke by the collar. "Are you serious?! He _killed _the Third and tried to demolish Konoha!" Naruto shook him roughly. "That bastard just wants to take your body as a container! He's going to _kill _you! And who knows what the hell that madman could do to _Sakura_! …I-I can't let you do this!"

"I. Don't. Care." Sasuke smirked.

-

They fought, and Sasuke won. I didn't do anything—nothing at all—but observe as both of them were beaten to a bloody pulp. The blood shed between the two of them appeared to turn the great river scarlet, but that might have just been a figment of my deteriorating, tortured psyche. I just watched as Naruto morphed into a demon, a disturbing, orange aura in the shape of a maniacal, deranged fox encasing him. I just fell to my knees and held my eyes agape as Sasuke activated his Cursed Seal, two gargantuan, satanic wings of _fingers_ sprouting out of his previously unmarred skin. I just looked on, witnessing a foretaste of what the dismal future I had chosen would hold for me. I just watched as two friends destroyed each other in the worst possible way….

I was drained and numb. My conscience had finally eaten away at me so much that I couldn't think; it was like acid. I sat on the ground, holding my head in my hands. I was beaten and exhausted; my skin and dress had been torn by numerous tree branches. My cheeks were damp, but not with fresh tears. Finally, I was able to keep my promise to myself. I had just witnessed both of my friends—I suppose I couldn't call either of them 'friends' at that point—turn into monsters right before my eyes and almost kill each other.

Something inside me had changed; I had hardened. I was destined to become the third demon in the destroyed Team Seven.

-

Chidori and Rasengan came together, creating the largest blast I had _ever_ witnessed. I had been crouching very close to the edge of the gorge, gazing at the battle below me with an expression of desolation and anguish on my face, and when the shockwaves hit, the very foundation beneath my feet crumbled away. Before my vocal cords could call forth a single sound, I was plummeting towards the rampant river. I screamed and shrieked with terror.

_Do something—_anything_! Think of something! Save yourself!_ my inner-self yelled.

I fell, lashing about helplessly, for a good ten seconds before my damaged mind sprang back into action. I concentrated my remaining chakra to my hands and desperately attempted to slow my descent, clawing furiously at the stone wall. About a foot from my atrocious kismet, I finally managed to slow myself and fell the short distance to the rocks below me. I don't know how I escaped getting a concussion, for I fell headfirst, but by the grace of some _maliciously humorous_ being, I did. I eventually reopened my eyes; I reached behind my head to feel a hot liquid oozing from a gash hidden in my sodden locks. I brought my hand before my horrorstricken eyes, and sure enough, it was drenched in blood; I could feel the dangerous throbbing, but more _importantly_, I _couldn't see_ _Sasuke_. I forced myself up just in time to see my love doubling over in pain.

"Sasuke-kun!" I heard myself screech. I found myself dizzily wobbling over to him as the rain began to pour. He coughed up a vermillion fluid I knew to be blood and crumpled to his knees; he held his forehead just above Naruto's unconscious…or dead…face. I stood back for a moment and just watched, _again_. I couldn't tell if Naruto was dead or alive, but my heart ached—for _both_ of my old teammates. I looked to the ground next to Sasuke's droplets of blood that were leisurely being swept away with the downpour, and I saw his marred forehead protector.

Without a cognizant thought, I slowly, unceremoniously pulled loose the fabric of my _last_ remnant of Konoha, and it clattered to the saturated ground beside me. And just that easily, I was no longer affiliated with the Village of the Leaves; I belonged to the Sound, then.

But most imperatively, I belonged to _Sasuke_, and he knew it; he controlled my life whether he wanted to or not.

-

I stumbled silently behind him, staring aimlessly at the two, gaping holes in his shirt. Sasuke's head hung low, but mine hung lower. The rain had washed away the blood and dirt in my wound, and it had taken on a dull ache. But eventually, my senses just closed down; my body and mind had taken a beating; I only followed my most innate instinct, and by that I mean I followed Sasuke. I focused solely on his tracks, leading me further and further into the darkness. I placed my small feet in the footprints Sasuke left in his wake, and as I dimly realized how different our strides and footsteps were, I began to hazily wonder once more: _Do I have it in me to truly tread his path?_ I reveled in the numbing rain for a moment. _Yes, _came my answer.

And that is how we made it to Orochimaru—just walking silently and wishing our minds would stop circling the past, whether it was our childhood or just a few moments before.

-

Orochimaru greeted us warmly, of course. Why would he not? His new body had just arrived and had brought a _friend_.

"Sasuke-kun…_welcome_," the Snake Lord hissed from behind many bandages. His slittedeyes looked me over meticulously. "Ahh… If I recall, we met in the Forest of Death, darling. What is your name, _love_?"

I was almost too overwhelmed to find words by the vast hallways, corridors, and rooms Kabuto had just lead us through to get to Orochimaru's quarters. The rest of the lair was mediocre and unimpressive, but Orochimaru's personal space was _extravagant_; it was furnished with fine cherry wood and lavish, forest-green silk. "I-I…I am Haruno Sakura," I whispered, utterly defeated. I was soaked from my rose hair to my sodden shoes, my body ached from hours and hours of struggle, and my mind was blank from mental turmoil. I needed sleep, just _sleep._

"Oh, my dear!" he exclaimed; I guessed he had taken to calling me sick pet names.

"Sasuke-kun is the one who has fought all the battles, yet you appear to be in worse health than him!" He laughed softly in his bizarre, serpentine way.

I hung my head lower under his evil, scrutinizing glare. Those golden and black slits that were apparently his _eyes_ bored into my skull. But I stupidly wasn't even afraid of him, then! I was too weary to care. I had accomplished my goal, so my mind shut down.

"No matter. You both shall rest for now." He quickly glanced hungrily at Sasuke before continuing, "Kabuto, show them their residence and then treat _Sakura-chan's_ wounds…and tend to Sasuke-kun as well…." I despised the way my name rolled off of that slick tongue of his so easily.

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama."

My 'residence' was in the same wing and hall as Sasuke's; in fact, it was literally just across from his. I wasn't thinking such mature things at thirteen, but it _would've been_ the _perfect_ location if Naruto, Jiraiya, and Lee hadn't decided to come after us…_again_.

Sasuke immediately vanished into his room, and Kabuto led me away.

"Hahaha… My, my, Sakura-chan! It certainly has been just _too_ long!" He began in an overly amiable way; I found him intensely eerie. "I'm surprised you aren't dead right now, to be _honest_," he continued as he escorted me down yet another long, dim corridor. "We weren't expecting to see _you_ here… I wonder why Lord Orochimaru hasn't yet killed you…." He murmured more to himself than me, "Actually, I wonder why he hasn't had _me_ kill you yet…." His words drove deep down into my previously insensate conscience.

"Heh. Well, Sakura-chan, if he was going to kill you or have me do it, you wouldn't have made it within ten miles of this place, so I suppose you're safe from death…for _now_, anyways," he told me easily, and we finally stopped outside a door. "After you, _Sakura_-_chan_…."His spectacles glinted evilly, and I knew I would loathe him.

The way he touched me as he cleaned my wounds… Every time his fingers came in contact with my flesh, it was a stroke, a caress from a vile, hideous creature. His hands would casually brush by the skin of my arms with a featherlike touch, but it _burned_. So casually, he traced his fingers over my cuts and abrasions. So nonchalantly, he trailed his glowing hands over my body.

"You don't talk much, _Sakura-chan_." The way he said my name was almost as horrific as Orochimaru. He waited for me to respond, but I had no intention of it. "Well, if you won't, then I will." He came to lean in on the wall in front the examination table and crossed his arms indifferently. "If you want to live long, then I suggest you address Lord Orochimaru respectfully, keep your head low, stay out of Sasuke-kun's way, and be _quiet_…. That is, unless Orochimaru-sama tells you _otherwise_, and he very well may do _just_ that…."

My torture had begun, but this was only the beginning.

* * *

Thanks so much for reading! This is now officially the end of the 'filler' nonsense! Holy shit, this was a pain to revise. I don't even know how many chapters I combined into just this one! Booooring! Well, I probably found it so boring because I've been cooped up in my room for the past fucking _week _with a 104 fever…! Anyways, **we've arrived at Oro's lair, and now the true action can commence!** And by that I mean this: The plotline shall grow increasingly darker and darker; people die and horrific sequences of events take place. You've been warned…numerous times. :D

Please continue with your suggestions and reviews! They mean so much to me.

XOXO

Endoh


	5. Chapter 5: The Object

I decided to try out some Sasuke POV (in limited omniscient/third person, like I had sort of done with later chapters) in this chapter. Note that _Damned and Damask _will, for the most part, remain Sakura POV throughout. I just feel it would add to the story if we got to explore some of Sasuke's thoughts at this point in the story…. Note that we get **a nice little shot of lust** in this chapter, but I'm taking the progression _much _more slowly this time. I was annoyed with myself for that the last time around. Actually, I wanted to kick myself. :D Oh well!

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"I don't give a damn if you want to throw your life away for me," Sasuke said coolly and began walking away. "Neither do I."

Sasuke x Sakura

Rating: NC17 (Extremely dark themes, extreme violence/gore, extremely graphic, explicit sexual content/rape -NC17-)

The dark story of the twisted fate Sakura chose for herself when she decided to follow her love to Orochimaru, this story contains very dark, graphic, disturbing content. Not for those of you who want a fluff-fic. If you can see the beauty of a crushed soul, blood, gore, graphic sex, sadism, torture, the dark metamorphosis of an innocent bud into a tainted blossom, and tragic death, then you would most likely enjoy this story. Also, if you like a story with real literary techniques, you've found one.

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Partially Sasuke POV; mostly Sakura POV

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Jukebox: "Going Under" by _Evanescence _

* * *

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_Damned and Damask_

Part I:

Damask

ばら

Chapter 5: The Object

-

I awoke the next morning, mentally numb and physically aching, to find myself alone: Sasuke had already disappeared. Was I truly expecting to see him? Did I actually think he would postpone his grappling for power just for me? My naivety was immense and seemingly unending. Orochimaru immediately began training Sasuke, so I was left with nothing to do except to attempt to hold together the shards and pieces of my life. I wandered the extent of the lair, trying to map out my new dwelling; I frequently ended up lost in the winding, snaking halls, and I assumed Orochimaru had purposely designed it so. For days, I didn't know what to do with myself. I hadn't seen but a few glimpses of Sasuke, and nobody gave me any direction. I was lost.

Orochimaru's 'staff' regarded me with cool glances and few words, but they fed and clothed me with the extravagance one would expect from an opulent bastard like Orochimaru. After two or three days, I found my room fully stocked with luxuriant toiletries and lavish silks; rouge, lip stain, nail polish, mascara, eye shadow, perfume, and other such things I had never found necessary lined the shelves of my bathroom. Obscenely palatial kimonos, obis, and sandals of assorted colors appeared in my small closet. Indecent and lacy undergarments materialized in my drawers.

With all the maquillage, it was as if I was expected to become a doll. I was to be dressed up; my face was to be painted on.

The very day I received my 'gifts,' I stood before the mirror in my room for nearly an hour, meticulously polishing my visage of painted-on perfection under the blinding fluorescent light. I had never before worn any sort of cosmetic; I had never before found them _necessary_. But they were so nicely presented in front of me…. So I decided to try them. All of these luxuriant things were threatening my modesty, but such a simple luxury as that was destined to be rid of, anyways: The life I had chosen for myself called for the disappearance of such things as humility and virtue.

-

After a week of experimentation with my provided luxuries, Orochimaru called me into his quarters.

"Lovely Sakura-chan," Orochimaru began, his eyes gleefully appraising my new countenance, "Kabuto tells me that you have excellent chakra control. Is he correct?"

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama. I believe he noticed during the chuunin exams," I agreed carefully, softly. He had supplied me with excellent clothing and food—fine silks and delicacies—but there was definitely no concept of trust between us. I had decided to take Kabuto's warnings to heart.

"Very good, Flower, very good. You will begin medicinal training under Kabuto today, and you will join Sasuke with me tomorrow," he stated, seemingly sated. "I see something I like in you…." He paused to cackle. "We'll see if you can keep up, _Flower_."

I truly didn't know how to respond at first. Had Orochimaru-sama, one of the legendary Sannin, just…_complimented_ me? Had he just told me that I would finally get to spend time with Sasuke again? "T-thank you, Orochimaru-sama!" I didn't know what exactly he saw or why he even put up with me, but I gladly accepted it to stay with Sasuke.

I suspected nothing, nothing at all of what was truly happening….

And that's how my training began. I took quickly to medical ninjutsu, and I found I was truly very talented in it. However, my first trial training with Sasuke and Orochimaru was a complete failure, and Orochimaru planned it so, wanting to show me how pathetic and in need of his power I was. That moment should have opened my eyes or at the very least made me more wary, but it didn't; my perpetual naivety remained intact. Orochimaru pinned Sasuke against me in a practice match, and it lasted under thirty seconds. If Sasuke hadn't toyed with me, it would've been more like five. He danced nimbly around me; I stumbled and tripped. It was pathetic; _I _was pathetic. In mere moments, he had a kunai to my throat. I couldn't look Sasuke in the eyes after he beat me with such ease, but he was far too disgusted for eye contact, anyways; I knew he thought of me as weak and insignificant because I thought the same. After Orochimaru humiliated me in front of Sasuke, he scoffed at me and ordered me to train under Kabuto until I became less disgraceful. I did so begrudgingly, and I went days without seeing my love. I had to spend all my time alone or with Kabuto, of all people….

But I was finally beginning to understand why Sasuke was the way he was; I could finally comprehend the reality of this darkness, and the isolation was starting to have a similar effect on me.

-

Once Orochimaru received word that his old teammate and my old teammate were going to attempt to invade, we simply left and moved on to the next hideout, and that is where things _really_ began.

-

Even Lord Orochimaru himself was impressed with my knack for medical jutsu, and I hoped for nothing more than for Sasuke to be as well. He was the sole reason I pushed myself so far; I wanted him to respect me more than anything else in the world, and if gaining power was the way to do so, then I would become powerful. I figured gaining his respect had to come before gaining his love, so I trained my ass off, day and night, with or without the bastard Kabuto.

'Kabuto-sensei' showed me how to mold chakra with exact precision; he taught me how to wield my precise chakra as a scythe. Yet I had no respect for him. Every moment I was with him, I felt…odd. It was as if he had some sort of odd fascination with me, yet he also held some sort of uncontrollable odium for me. He couldn't seem to make up his mind as to whether he liked me or loathed me. I simply detested him.

But for Sasuke, I would endure. I would endure _anything…._

-

Finally, after three months of training under 'Kabuto-sensei' and having almost no communication with Sasuke, Orochimaru told me I was ready to at least observe Sasuke's sessions, and I was dumbly elated. I was somewhat horrified by the things I saw—Sasuke mercilessly taking down, thankfully not _killing_, hundreds of shinobi, transforming into the bushy-haired monster I saw at the Valley of End, and so much more—but I was beginning to come to the conclusion that Sasuke had been right: He couldn't have gained power like what Orochimaru was giving him in Konoha, and the same was true for me.

Orochimaru began a training regime with me, and I had his tutelage only when Sasuke was resting. On the rare occasion that we made contact, Sasuke refused to converse with me or have anything to do with me. I was weak; he was powerful. Two polar opposites could not well mix….

But Orochimaru told me that I was much like the Hokage, and I couldn't believe it! It was praise of unimaginable influence. The Snake Lord had figured out how to play me as skillfully as Tayuya played her flute; he easily found a way to control me with kind words and by showing me just how much Sasuke would detest me without strength, by demonstrating just how much _I_ needed _him_. He had studied Tsunade's jutsus and abilities carefully enough to instruct me in them, and I learned to wield my chakra and brute force as my fiercest weapons and charms. I could kick a crater in the earth; I spent an hour a day concentrating and stowing away caches of chakra; I could form a saber out of my chakra and slice the smallest vein. I had become deadly.

-

After our first year of being with Orochimaru, Sasuke was finally starting to take notice of me, if only from the distance; I could feel his eyes on me as I worked with Orochimaru or Kabuto. Of course I was nowhere near as able as he, but I was _noticeable_:

My body had lengthened.

My personality had matured.

My hair had grown longer.

My chest had grown larger.

I painted my pink lips red.

I coated my long lashes black.

I lacquered my nails scarlet.

I had transformed.

I was still hurting—oh, how I was hurting!—but I buried it deep inside my conscience, just like Sasuke. I didn't cry any longer, finally keeping my promise to myself. When I had a problem, I dealt with it; when I had a problem that couldn't be dealt with, I drowned it deep within myself. I had gained '_strength_.' The weak, pitiable Sakura had all but vanished in that one year of being surrounded by power-hungry, sanguinary men, and I couldn't have been more proud; I only hoped my love was, too.

* * *

Sasuke woke up angry; it wasn't particularly unusual for him to awaken bristled, but today was different: This anger was new to him and directed at a completely different person—_Sakura_, to be exact.

She had grown to be the object of his dreams' obsession.

He had dreamt of her every night for the past week, and he had grown to resent her even more for haunting his supposed seclusion. What were meant to be restful nights of sleep turned into nights of tossing and turning…because of Sakura. His mind conjured up images of Sakura in a new light, a very _attractive_ light. His subconscious took notice of the changes in her at night, for he refused to do so in the daylight: full, ruby lips enclosing white teeth; long eyelashes lining salaciously exotic eyes; pallid skin covering taut yet feminine muscles; long hair flowing behind her longer body; pert breasts balanced by an equally attractive ass. Those traits seemed so suddenly striking at night, but they had begun to become striking even in the day…. She was becoming a nuisance, a very, _very _distracting nuisance.

Sasuke ran a long-fingered hand through his mussed hair and cursed the conspicuous tent in his sheets. He let his head fall angrily back against his pillow before deciding to take yet another cold shower.

_Damn her._

This wasn't supposed to be happening to him. He had one focus and one _alone. _Yet somehow he had found himself in this same situation every morning that week, waking up both furious and…aroused. He could only afford to have _one _person on his mind, and that one person could _only_ be Itachi. He didn't posses the capacity necessary to have more than one fucking obsession; he could only indulge _one_.

Sasuke held his head low as he leaned his hand against the tile of his shower, allowing the cold water to pelt over his perfect body. He glared at his slowly softening erection, for he refused to give his subconscious the satisfaction of jerking off to thoughts of _her_; he wouldn't allow himself to submit to such a temptation. He was too good for that, and she was too far below him.

_I am an avenger. I am nothing more. _She _is a simple girl. She is _nothing _more._

Yet no matter how many times he repeated those words, his subconscious, his dreams told him otherwise. And so he hated her; he hated her because she had somehow managed to loosen his total and complete control of himself; he hated her because she had somehow managed to slacken his resolute focus; he hated her because he found himself thinking of her as _his_; he hated her because he began to wonder why exactly he had allowed her to accompany him….

_Why the hell did I let her come here!? …Why _did _I let her come here?_

It was just a whim…wasn't it? He spoke the truth when he told her he didn't give a damn…didn't he? He had severed all his ties…hadn't he?

Sasuke didn't have an answer. Uchihas didn't second-guess themselves, yet Sakura had him doing so; she had him doing so many things he shouldn't have been doing….

And her very sanity was questionable! What sort of crazed lunatic would _willingly_ enter such a hell without a damned _reason_?! What sort of demented maniac would sacrifice all Sakura had sacrificed without a fucking _reason_?! Sasuke couldn't understand her, yet he was somewhat fascinated by her….

He flung his fist into the wall of tiles, relishing the splintering of the ceramics. The Serpent's servants would repair the crater.

-

Sasuke soon found it impossible to _not _look at her; it took too much effort for him to resist his most innate urge to just observe her. And so he couldn't help but find himself drawn to watching her, her body, her movements; she had grown graceful; she had grown strong; she had grown beautiful…. And he knew Sakura could feel his wandering eyes upon her. But he could no longer help himself; he no longer had the _desire_, the _will_ to help himself: Sakura was the only beauty he had glimpsed in months and months of hell; she was the radiant one star in his all-consuming night.

It took just one night, just one particularly vivid dream for Sasuke to realize that something _had _to be done.

Sasuke awoke in the middle of the night drenched in sweat, panting, and completely and utterly aroused…only to find that he had had a very, _very_ wet dream…about _Sakura_. The second he jolted awake, little blips and images flew through his mind: his mouth covering Sakura's, her succubine mouth covering his cock; her dainty fingers trailing over his body, his long fingers inside hers….

"Fuck!" he roared at the darkness, enraged. "_Fuck_!"

He leapt out of his soiled sheets and promptly ripped them from the mattress, threw them into the air, and exhaled a fireball at them. He quickly did the same to his sweatpants and boxers before storming into his bathroom for _yet another _frigid shower.

Something had to be done to sate his mind's unhealthy obsession with Sakura. Something had to be done.

* * *

A few months after Sasuke and I had turned fourteen, he astonished me.

The hot summer sun was just beginning to set in the Sound. I sat pensively on the smooth branch of a blooming cherry tree, gazing off into the direction of Konoha and the intensely painted sky. I was deep in thought when I felt _his_ chakra nearing. I almost fell backwards in astonishment, for Sasuke was supposed to be training with Orochimaru. Why was he heading towards me? _He's not coming to you, Sakura, _I informed myself dismally. A few moments later, I felt a rush of cool air blow my long, damask waves into my face, and there he was, standing a foot away from me. _Whoa_. I immediately took on the role of a silly school girl, straightening my deep red, slightly revealing kimono and fidgeting.

"Sakura," he said my name dully in greeting, his long legs balancing easily on the cherry bough as the yellowing light of the sultry sun swept over him.

As soon as I heard his voice, my inner-self slapped me good and hard. _Get a hold of yourself, idiot! You grew out of this a year ago! _ "Sasuke-kun." I attempted to mimic his tone. I waited a moment for him to break the awkward silence that formed, but he just stood there, in white, black, and purple. "I thought you were training with Orochimaru-sama today," I tried tentatively.

"Orochimaru had things he needed to take care of," he replied blandly.

_Why is he doing this? This isn't like him…._ In truth, this was the first time Sasuke and I had been alone in our entire stay with the bastard Snake. There were so many things I wanted, _needed_ to ask him. The new, braver Sakura was capable of things the old, timid one would never do. "Sasuke-kun…Why did you allow me to come with you…?" I almost dreaded the answer to that question, but I deluded myself into thinking the answer would include his undying love for me.

"Heh. I never thought you'd make it." He may have smirked, but my eyes weren't on him. I knew he spoke the truth.

It was like he thrust his katana through my heart. My eyes darted down from the bleeding sun to my dangling, bare feet, fully expecting to see the blood from my broken heart dripping to the ground. "Oh…" I replied bitterly.

"You've grown strong, Sakura."

_What?! Where the hell did that come from!?_ With one sentence he had shattered my soul, and with the next he made my heart rebuild and soar.

"Th-thank you, Sasuke-kun." I looked over to him and smiled brightly, pouring all my love into that one, single gesture. I swear I saw his pale lips lift upwards, but I could've been mistaken.

"We haven't trained today, so you and I shall spar," he said simply; it was so casual, but coming from him, it was _mystifying_.

Had I really improved _that_ much, enough for Sasuke to want to train with me? I was determined to keep my cool. "Sure, Sasuke-kun." I leapt down from the branch, my short kimono fluttering and hopefully showing him my toned legs. Once I landed on the ground, I flipped my extensive, thick hair over and slowly restrained it in a ponytail. I had long since given up on wearing my hair down in battle; it was trivial and distracting. "Alright, Sasuke-kun…" I smiled what I hoped was a pretty smile. "Jutsu or fists?" When we fought with 'fists' it wasn't to do damage to the opponent, just to make contact with a vital point. But with 'jutsus,' we brought out all the cutthroat firepower in our arsenal.

"Fists," he said as leaned his katana against the tree trunk; I quickly removed my weapon pouch.

We took a couple steps away into a clearing and fell into our battle stances; I was determined to impress him. The new, bold me decided to attack first. I lunged at him, attempting to drive a fist into some part of his body. He easily dodged, even without the use of his Sharingan. I thrust a fist near his shoulder, but he grabbed on to it easily. I sent my other hand flying his way, but that, too, was blocked and the taken a hold of. My only option left was to drive my foot at him, and he promptly caught it under his elbow, pinning my smooth, pale leg to him. I growled in frustration as I attempted to pull loose, and I suddenly kicked up my other leg into his hand, effectively forcing him to release me, and back-flipped away.

"Heh. Very good, Sakura." He smirked at me, and I knew why.

"Stop playing with me, Sasuke-kun," I panted furiously.

"Very well, Sakura…" I heard from behind me. He had vanished in less than a second and then reappeared two inches in back of me!

His fist nearly connected to my jawbone, but I ducked just in time and spun around, my long hair swishing violently upwards. "I said not to take it easy on me!" It irked and enraged me so much that he still thought me unworthy of his slightest effort. I wanted his _respect_.

He finally took my words more seriously, and I got my ass handed to me on a silver platter, but I was at least able to put up some sort of a fight. I knew he still hadn't gone all out like I had asked, but he exerted _effort_. The heat of the summer was getting to both of us, but I wouldn't give up, and he just enjoyed winning and proving to me how strong he was. He may have actually been showing off, then. Hah!

Sweat was streaming down the both of us as we took a small water break. I poured the cool liquid into my hands and splashed it on my flushed face. "Damn…" I muttered. I had watched him clash with Orochimaru and other shinobi from a distance, but I hadn't fought him myself since the last time I lost pitifully. His strength was so overwhelming…and _so_ fucking sexy.

"Heh." He smirked and leisurely lifted the white cloth of his yukata over his shoulders, allowing me to take in his wonderfully built arms, chest, and abdomen. He was the sexy, lean sort of muscular, and his pale, sweaty skin glistened in the slowly fading light. He was so damn perfect just standing there in his baggy, black pants and armguards. He was tempting me, subconsciously perhaps, but he was _still_ tempting me in the worst possible ways….

I wanted to slap myself afterwards, but I let out a rather audible, "Mmmmmh." Once I realized what had escaped my mouth, I coughed in a pointless attempt to cover it up. I saw his dark eyes flicker with something I couldn't yet recognize. Was it amusement or some other emotion? Though I didn't know what it was, I was happy to have excited it from him.

Admittedly, the already burning temperature of the humid summer night increased by about twenty degrees when Sasuke's shirt hit the ground. I had pictured the two of us getting married and living happily ever after when I was twelve, but at the ripe age of fourteen and a half, my fantasizing took a different turn. My drenched kimono was already sticking uncomfortably to my skin, and I knew it would slow me down. The new, daring me decided to take a go at flirting, for my last outburst had extracted a reaction from him. I hadn't seen anything in his face for the longest time; I wanted to see more of the human side I had just uncovered. "It's not fair, Sasuke-kun."

He looked at me with a stolid expression. "What?"

"It's not fair that you can take your shirt off, but I can't." I was tempted to pout, but I knew that would be going too far and probably make me look like an immature idiot. I guess the thrill of having him willingly sit next to me, talk with me, and spar with me had gone to my silly pink head.

"What's stopping you?" he replied coolly, not skipping a beat.

Damn. I wanted him to at least have some sort of reaction, but his cool, honeyed voice gave me nothing.

_Do it, Sakura! _My inner-self ordered._ Go for it!_

I wasn't sure what to do, so I just went with the advice of the hormones. I reached behind my back, flicked my white obi to the ground, and shimmied out of my scarlet dress. I wasn't giving him too much of a show, for I still wore black short spandex shorts and a somewhat revealing black bandeau, but it still increased the blood flow to my face tenfold. I had never done something like that before, and if felt…good. It was exhilarating to feel his onyx eyes gliding over my full, yet still growing breasts, my flat stomach, and shapely legs. Months and months of harsh training had certainly done us both good with our physical looks. "Ready, Sasuke-kun?" I questioned in what I hoped what a confident, sexy tone and stepped back onto the field.

He nodded with that intense look in his eyes, and I felt like melting. _Get it together, Sakura! He won't value you if you have no strength. _Fight_! _

This time, he was the one to go at me. I was ready, however. He went at me, fists and legs flying with amazing agility. I barely dodged his blows, and I noticed he was backing me into the trees, cornering me. I tried with all my might to get away, but my efforts were futile; he was so far out of my league! However, it did take him a good ten minutes before he grabbed both of my hands in one of his, slammed me against the cherry tree we had been sitting on, and pinned my arms above my heated body.

"I win again, _Sakura_," he breathed heavily on my face and smirked; his ebon eyes bored into mine.

It was starting to be too much for me—the sheen of his skin, the rippling lean muscles of his body, the look in his eyes, the confident smirk of victory on his strong face, the heat of the night. I closed my eyes and tried to wriggle out of his grip, arching my back off the tree, before my hormones and silly, pink head took over again and made me do something stupid, something Sasuke would have easily rejected….

"Sakura…" I felt his hot, damp body press against mine and his moist breath tickle my chin, and my eyes snapped open. He leaned in to whisper in my ear, "Sakuraaa…"

Did he know what he was doing to me?! Yes, he knew _damn_ well. "S-Sasuke…?" I wasn't sure exactly what he was doing, but I _so_ hoped he was doing what I wanted! My body lit up aflame; it just wasn't fair how turned on I was by that man! In numbers, I was far too young to be longing for what I did, but I had gone through so much and matured so much! My mind snapped back to reality when I felt his soft lips gently caress my naked shoulder. "Oh…god… _Sasuke…_" I shuddered hopelessly under the slightest touch of him; the sensuous feel of his sinewy, sinuous body on mine was too much.

"Sakura…" he whispered on me, setting my pale skin on fire. I felt his tongue flick out and taste my soft shoulder….

* * *

Unbridled lust was all Sasuke could feel at that moment. She had worn down all his barriers, all his fortifications, all his willpower. Sasuke had just wanted to test her, _nothing _more, yet he had ended up testing himself…and _failing_. He had wanted to see how much she had improved, but Sakura went and changed things. Sakura had gone and made herself far too attractive for her own good. Red, Sasuke decided, was a color Sakura should _never_ wear. Red, Sasuke decided, was a color he _loathed_. Red, Sasuke decided, was a color he _couldn't get enough of_. The crimson dress she wore was too clingy; the scarlet of her lips was too deep; the effect of her heeled sandals was too desirable; the vastness of her improvements was too great.

He could no longer ignore her.

His hands moved of their own accord to places he wouldn't have ever touched in any normal spar, places on a woman's body he hadn't ever touched, trailing over her silken legs and drifting over her waist and chest. He played and toyed with her, enjoying her fury, finding it sexy and far too appealing. He cajoled her into stripping before him with a seemingly innocent action. He forced her to jump to dodge his carefully calculated attacks, effectively giving him a wonderful show of cleavage. And then his nearly unlimited view of her flushed, beautiful body became too much. And then he found himself touching her far too much, pressing his body into hers, reveling in the skin on skin contact, rasping her name as both a curse and an enticement, trailing his lips across her sweet skin and tasting her, relishing the way her voice was a moan of his name.

And before he could even realize what he was doing, he had forcefully sealed his lips over hers, living out the first part of his involuntary midnight fantasies. It was the type of action that demanded submission to his will, and Sakura certainly did so, pulling him into her and reacting with rampant enthusiasm. He pressed into her, further shoving her back into the roughness of the tree, and leisurely dragged his tongue over the bottom of her lips, which parted immediately for him, allowing the fervent exploration of her mouth. His hands glided over her skin to her ass and forcefully dragged her leg up to drape around his waist, swallowing her moans of approval as his fingers kneaded her soft flesh. His free hand wound into her ponytail and yanked her pink head into a better angle, allowing his lips more access to her delicious ones as he languidly sucked and bit at them. He groaned in encouragement when her other leg wound around his waist, grinding her body into his, and her delicate hands wove into his locks. And then they had to breathe. Sasuke reluctantly released her lips and moved on to suck on her neck, scraping her sweet skin every so often with his teeth between breaths; her hands never released their grip. He only sucked harder when he heard her gasps and moans of "Sasuke… Aah, ah, Sasuke!" Satisfied that if she could say his name in pleasure she had plenty of air in her lungs, he returned to sucking her bottom lip into his mouth and flicking his tongue at hers. He busied his hands by dragging his nails up and down Sakura's tight stomach, slowly ascending up her hot skin.

* * *

I couldn't believe what was happening. I had just been ambushed…by _Sasuke_. His lips were all over mine, and I was more than eager to reciprocate. My mind was spinning, wondering just what the _fuck_ this sudden onslaught meant, but his touches on my body quickly took my focus elsewhere. I heard myself moaning into his mouth with every movement his tongue made in my mouth; I pushed myself into him in order to seal any distance between us. I wanted this; I wanted this _badly. _Whatever he was doing to me was exactly what I craved, yet I had no idea what he was doing! The feelings coursing through my body were all new to me: I had been overheated because of the weather and the exertion of our spar…but at that moment, there was a _different_ heat inside me; it was desire. And I had been a stranger to it until then, so I let him lead me.

I didn't know if I was reacting correctly to his touches, but Sasuke only grew more and more fervent, so I did the same. I could feel his fingers inching closer and closer to my breasts, yet I didn't feel any need to stop him; I _wanted _him to touch me…_everywhere_.

* * *

Hey, guys! Hope you liked the Sasuke POV I added in there. See, I had known what Sasuke was doing _in my head_, but I hadn't included it in the storyline; I think having a little Sasuke POV clears up some confusions.

Okay, so as Juniper11 knows, I'm _loving _Green Day's new album! "¡Viva la Gloria!" is my favorite song on it. :D So, what have you guys been jamming out to? Five favorite bands? Five favorite songs? (I say "five" because I know that I, personally, couldn't narrow it down to just one. Haha.)

My bands in no particular order: Breaking Benjamin, Red, Evanescence, Sick Puppies, Three Days Grace

(Green Day, Sum 41…)

My songs in no particular order: "I Don't Care" (Apocalyptica), "Had Enough" (Breaking Benjamin), "¡Viva la Gloria!" (Green Day), "The Sharpest Lives" (My Chemical Romance), "Lost" (Red)

…"Cancer" (Sick Puppies), "Pieces" (Sum 41), "Time of Dying" (Three Days Grace), "New Divide" (Linkin Park)

Haha. I totally went over five. ;)

-

Anyways, I _really _hope you'll take the time to review! I love to hear from you guys, and I'd love to improve. :)

XOXO

Endoh


	6. Chapter 6: The Antithesis

Holy shit. I'm so sorry for the huuuuuge time lapse, guys. I've had a lot of shit going on-some good, some bad. I really appreciate your patience with me. However, I do _not _appreciate some of the rather rude messages I've received _demanding _that I update. Not cool. I write this stuff as a hobby; I don't have a contract or a deadline, so some of you just need to chill. Like an anonymous reviewer 'rae'. Oh, and 'rae', I'm very much alive, thank you, but somebody rather close to me is no longer. So thanks for asking.

On the other hand...! Aside from a few rude PMs, I've really loved all you guys who gave me **feedback**, and, therefore, encouraged me to work hard on updating! And I pretty much went into a crazy Deidara-like state when I found out my fics have inspired **fanarts**! (ART IS A BANG, YAH!) Seriously, the fanart thing just slapped a big ol' smile on my face, so please, _please_ show me if you've made anything and I'll put a linky-link to it on my profile (unless, of course, you'd rather me not share it). Oh, and I also found out that _Damned and Damask _is on some **suggested reading lists **and things like that, which also slapped a smile on my face. Thanks so much for sticking with me! :D

"I don't give a damn if you want to throw your life away for me," Sasuke said coolly and began walking away. "Neither do I."

Sasuke x Sakura

Rating: NC17 (Extremely dark themes, extreme violence/gore, extremely graphic, explicit sexual content/rape -NC17-)

The dark story of the twisted fate Sakura chose for herself when she decided to follow her love to Orochimaru, this story contains very dark, graphic, disturbing content. Not for those of you who want a fluff-fic. If you can see the beauty of a crushed soul, blood, gore, graphic sex, sadism, torture, the dark metamorphosis of an innocent bud into a tainted blossom, and tragic death, then you would most likely enjoy this story. Also, if you like a story with real literary techniques, you've found one.

Partially Sasuke POV; mostly Sakura POV

Jukebox: "Aerials" by System of a Down (I know some people think SoaD is too hardcore, but "Aerials" is really a pretty chill song. Listen to it! :D)

* * *

_Damned and Damask_

Part I:

Damask

ばら

Chapter 6: The Antithesis

He was going to be the death of me. I was absolutely sure of that.

I was burning alive, yet I longed for more of the delectable smolder. He was forceful. He was masterful. He was powerful. He was all-consuming. And I wanted _more_. His lingering lips on my skin were not enough. His wandering fingers digging into my flesh were not enough. As he continued his fervent assault on my body, I realized just what _would _be enough. As did Sasuke: His fingertips were slowly inching under the black fabric covering my breasts. I had no intention of stopping him.

But someone else did.

"Heh. Having _fun_, Sasuke_-_kun, Sakura-chan?"

Sasuke leapt away from me at the first cackle Orochimaru let out, shoving off the tree behind me with a sudden burst of chakra, but I could only grasp the fact that his heated, beautiful body was no longer on mine. I gasped for air as I opened my lust-clouded eyes, and I slowly began to realize what had happened: Orochimaru had just caught Sasuke and me going at it like horny teenagers with no fucking self-control, and my beloved had already gathered his things and disappeared, leaving me alone to deal with the Snake. I felt my back slide down the gritty bark of the tree, ignoring the peeling of my skin, with only the utterance of an expletive—_fuck_. It was both a curse to the embarrassment…and a whine and a plea at the loss of Sasuke's touch. I leaned limply back on the cherry wood as I let Orochimaru's gleeful, golden slits appraise my flushed skin, his eyes lingering on my kiss-swollen lips, then drifting down the length of me. I labored to even out my erratic breathing and ran my fingers through my mussed hair. I _had _to calm down, come down from that unreal high of carnal euphoria.

"What is it you want?" I spat none too politely. I needed to _think_; I didn't have the patience to entertain Orochimaru's fancies.

"Flower," he began mockingly, his dull black hair whipping in the evening wind, "a master doesn't need a reason to visit his students, does he?" He grinned too widely, obviously pleased with himself.

I longed to smack—or permanently _erase_—that smile off his pasty face. However, I decided to quickly catch this damned fly with honey before my fury exploded. "Please, Lord Orochimaru," I said in the most syrupy voice I could muster, lowering my lids over my beryl eyes ever so slightly, "could we continue this another time?"

He chortled, his despicable tongue lolling out of his pale mouth. "Of course, Flower, of course. Another time…" Finally, he left me with a blast of wafting smoke and a few resounding echoes of his haughty laughter.

I had become a snake charmer.

I permitted my head to collapse back on the bark. What did all of this mean? Out of nowhere, Sasuke had ambushed me: He sparred with me; he kissed me; he ran his hands all over my body. But _what did it mean_? I rushed to silence the stupidly hopeful whispers claiming that Sasuke could only act in such a way if he was madly in love with me…but my efforts were futile. The seed of hope was already imbedded in me. I tried again and again to dismiss such notions, telling myself it was all just a fluke, just an inexplicable phenomenon, but my youthful mind got the best of me: It wasn't how I had dreamed my first kiss with Sasuke would be, but it was a _kiss _from _Sasuke_. I had imagined my first kiss to be chaste and gentle; I should have known nothing about Sasuke could be chaste _or _gentle. I shook my head dismally. Why was I entertaining such fantasies? I had to dispel my childish daydreams and wrap my mind around the logic of the situation—the dismal, dismal truth of it all.

_We're both maturing. Our hormones are raging, so Sasuke probably would have reacted the same way…if I had been any other female. Nothing special. Just the most innate and human reaction one can have. Simple as that._

If only it were all so simple….

But nothing could _ever_ be so simple. Simplicity was simply not a part of my chosen reality; it never could be again. The pretty notion of Sasuke having feelings for me made me more…content than I had been in months. I felt like…happiness was again within my reach. I was a stargazer within touching-distance of the stars!

My head slumped forward as I once again reminded myself of my idiocy and immaturity. With a groan of effort, I picked my sore, beaten, and ravished body up from the ground, for I realized I had been pondering a while too long; the sun was no longer visible, and all sorts of interesting creatures of the night appeared during the twilight hours in the wilderness encompassing the desert lair. A warm liquid trickling down my spine alerted me to the self-inflicted injuries on my back; my illuminated hand served as both an eerily green lantern and an instant healer. I swept my fingers over my damaged entirety as I gathered my belongings, letting out a few pained moans at the stings and aches I felt.

_Damn it. I'm black and blue_. My hand fluttered over Sasuke's marks on my neck. _…And red… _My hand wavered. I left one mark; I wouldn't completely erase the only proof I had that this…this had truly happened.

Quickly, the moon became my only visible companion, but I could certainly hear and feel other creatures around me. I couldn't help the bitter grin that formed on my face: _Of course _Orochimaru would choose a location with vicious beasts as neighbors. Unfortunately for the rather large brute watching my every move, I still had just enough chakra stored away to outrun my pursuers and safely make it back to Orochimaru's dwelling. I desired nothing more than to beat the hell out of something (like the mongrel behind me), but I ended up deciding a cleansing midnight swim in the Bastard's hot springs would do me more good; I wasn't particularly partial to feeling my own blood drying to a rust-colored crust on my skin. So I hightailed it back to the desert, forcing my exhausted limbs far, far past their limit.

Finally, I stumbled through the hidden entrance, sweat droplets clinging to my forehead, stinging a few cuts I had yet to heal. I dropped the filthy clothing I had been holding; the Bastard's servants, who were already surfacing...much like cockroaches surfacing from cracks in walls..., could deal with it. I had more imperative issues to concern myself with. And I had become arrogant.

I trudged on, weaving in and out of the assorted halls and dimly-lit corridors on autopilot, until I finally came upon Orochimaru's personal indoor hot spring; he had allowed me access to it as a reward for my improvements. Had his little "Flower" been less naïve, I would have been more wary, questioning the true motives behind his invitation. But I was a verdant little bud of a "Flower," so I heaved open the door with my last burst of strength and breathed contentedly the steam that greeted me. I was _so _ready to get this damned dirt and blood and sweat off my body, and what better way than a hot bath of natural spring water?

Unlike the rest of the lair, this room appeared to be a natural occurrence: It seemed to be some sort of underground spring, complete with scattered stalactites and stalagmites. Even the lighting was natural, and I much preferred the diffused, candlelit room to the weakly fluorescent-lit preponderance of my dwellings. I appreciated the naturalness of this place, for the vast majority of my life seemed so very synthetic and wholly…_un_natural.

Wearily, I scanned my surroundings. Finding nothing and no one, I let out a sigh and began stripping what little clothing I still wore. I stumbled jadedly forward through the thick mist until my toes met heated water, and then I abruptly submerged myself, my energy finally waning away. The smooth, heated stone of the bench worked to slowly relax the gnarled muscles surrounding my spine. With the steam clouding around me, my mind was finally able to clear. I inhaled and let my body slide completely under the water, the heat of the spring loosening the caked-on dirt and blood from my skin. I surfaced minutes later when my lungs had grown uncomfortably low on oxygen, and a soft knocking dragged me from my jaded trance.

"Sakura-hime?" a timid female voice called through the thick wood of the door. "I was told to bring you a few…um…bathing items…." She sounded terrified. "May I, um, please enter, Sakura-hime?"

A small wave of guilt seemed to bubble up from the spring. Was this servant girl truly so petrified…because of me? "Yes," I said, forcing my voice to sound gentler than usual. "You may enter."

She briefly struggled to push the weighty door open before warily shuffling in. She was a tiny, thin thing, plainly dressed and no older than me; I was amazed she was able to get the unnecessarily heavy door open. The servant girl made her way over to me, cowering as if she were a mouse approaching a tiger, and carefully placed the basket containing my 'bathing items' on the dry stone next to me. She began quietly unpacking the basket. I groaned in disgust at what I saw.

The girl flinched, though she never lifted her eyes from the floor. "I-I… M-my apologies, Sakura-hime. Have I offended you?" Her voice shook and quavered.

"No, no. Not _you_," I sighed, closing my eyes wearily. "It's the bastard Snake who offended me. Sending me all these…these _things_…!" I plucked up one of the packages she had delivered to me and extracted an exotic chocolate truffle. "Orochimaru certainly is a presumptuous, pretentious bastard, isn't he?" I grinned for the girl's sake, but she didn't seem any less frightened. I gave up trying to make conversation—a rather odd thing for me to have been doing, anyway—and dismissed her, much to her relief and mine. I simply...wasn't capable of having normal conversation with people anymore. I settled back down in the steam and blindly rummaged through whatever Orochimaru had sent for me, withdrawing whatever objects caught my attention with their feel and texture: a sake bottle; a fancy colored glass flask of scented oil; a comb; and the chocolate things.

I sat there, just soaking in the spring, and willed myself to think, but my mind wasn't cooperating. I was just too exhausted to think. Sasuke had kissed me, so why couldn't I just let myself be content with that, even if it was just for a fucking moment? So I lazily plucked up the bottle of sake and took a swig...and then another...and then another. I decided I liked sake; I _really _liked sake. I felt even hotter and more lightheaded; any leftover tension in my body melted away. I'd had sake a few times before-Orochimaru's servants insisted on serving it to me _every _meal-but I drank it in small amounts. When I had downed a third of the bottle, I placed it aside and began slowly combing the Ylang Ylang oil through my hair. It really did smell _wonderful_-slightly fruity, floral, and sweet. I fumbled lethargically through the box of stuff until my fingers settled on what felt like a bottle of soap and a washcloth. I leisurely dragged Ylang Ylang-scented suds over my body, now in a completely intoxicated state. I re-submerged myself and then eventually allowed my body to float to the surface.

After just floating around for however long, I finally decided to drag myself to bed...rather than fall asleep and drown in the Bastard's spring. I nearly laughed at the thought. Nearly. A towel and a flimsy-looking, silky pink thing were in the basket, so I dried off a bit and threw on the thin kimono, messily pinning my wet hair up with the decorative comb as a pin.

* * *

_Shit._

He could feel her walking towards him, smell her dizzying scent wafting in his direction.

He could run, but of course, he couldn't: He was an Uchiha. He could change his route, but of course, he couldn't do that either: He was an Uchiha. There were plenty of things he _could _do, but not too many things his arrogance would allow him to do. So he trudged onward, determined not to let her win this damned battle as well. He'd lost enough dignity for one fucking day...

With every step he took, his senses were increasingly overwhelmed with the damn heady, vinous _smell _of her. Sasuke was beginning to doubt his ability to just _walk away_ from her, to just calmly continue on to his room for bed, for his pulse was now anything but calm...and he was having trouble pacing his gait. He was remembering what had just happened between them... How mere hours ago...he hadn't intended to stop his assault of her... How mere hours ago...he had felt how unbelievable the contrast of her softness to his sinewy solidness was... How mere hours ago...he would have lost the battle _and_ the war, would have given in to her siren song in the worst way, had the Snake not appeared when he did...

And then _she _appeared, in all her damn glory, at the very end of the corridor. It was all he could do _as a man_ to keep his breath from hitching, to keep his body from its most innate reactions, to just keep his feet moving: She was wet, dripping all over; she was soaking wet and wearing the most pathetic excuse of a kimono he'd ever laid eyes on. And that damned excuse of a garment was paper-thin, soaked see-through, and clinging to her wet skin in all the most sinful places, deeply parting the silk to expose her delicate clavicle bones...and all the skin and flesh down to her sternum. Sakura continued to stroll towards him, a sedated expression on her face, and he resolutely marched in the opposite direction. As they grew closer, Sasuke's pitch eyes unwillingly followed the branches of the sakura tree pattern on the diaphanous thing to where the pattern conveniently ended at her breasts; there was nothing but translucent rosy material to shield her from his grudgingly ravenous gaze, which slowly descended. The ridiculous dress fell barely to her mid thighs, leaving the better part of her ivory legs conspicuously visible.

Sasuke's glower rose to her face when she smiled. She _smirked _at him, so he sneered in response. And then he damned himself: Not only had the girl gotten a rise out of him, she had then laughed softly...and exhaled her sickly sweet alcoholic breath. He'd had his fair share of sake that evening...but somehow the alcohol smelled so much more _intoxicating _coming from her, swirling into the floral air around her. Sakura's dilated eyes shone with inebriated amusement as she knowingly gazed at him: She was drunk, but she _knew _what she was doing to him.

Finally, their shoulders were parallel. With the distraction out of sight, time began moving at its normal speed again; Sasuke hadn't noticed the deceleration, but he could at last quietly exhale a rather shaky breath. That changed when he heard her damned dulcet voice.

"Goodnight, Sasuke-kun," she drawled leisurely, slurring a touch when she said his name. "Sleep well..."

He bristled at the sound of his name, and his contempt for her nearly boiled over. She had been haunting his dreams, but now...! _Now _the damned _succubus _was...was fucking with his sanity even in the daylight! She no longer needed the moon to turn him into a raving lunatic... He had been weak, and he couldn't let it happen again, _wouldn't_ let it happen again. Because there was no way in _hell _Sasuke was going to let a simple girl reduce him to that sort of pathetic desperation again. He set his jaw and balled his fists, fingers twitching slightly in his effort to _not _punch a hole in the wall. _Sakura _was the damn weak one! In all rationality, she shouldn't have been able to even reach Orochimaru. Yet there she was. She had survived, despite all odds. She had survived to be the death of him.

And then Sasuke's mind began weaving a new fantasy, starkly contrasting the ones of his dreams...

* * *

I awoke the following morning by throwing up. It was a _great_ way to start my day...or midday, as it was sometime around 12:30 when I finally hauled my hungover body out of bed to puke in my bathroom sink. One and only one thing was glaringly obvious about the night before: I had downed a hell of a lot of sake. But that was all I could come up with in my hungover state. I stripped and doused my pounding head in a cold shower, hoping to dull the ache long enough to remember why it was I drank so much in the first place. Out of sheer common sense, I deduced it had something to do with Sasuke. Only something Sasuke-related could put me in such a stupor. If it hadn't already felt like I had done so, I would have banged my head against the wall: What the hell had happened last night?

I stumbled through the fluorescent-lit corridors, damning the white light, as I made my way to the Bastard's kitchen. I needed a whole hell of a lot of water to ease my headache and make the bags under my eyes diminish a bit, and some starchy food in my stomach would hopefully settle it a bit. I finally stormed into the kitchen, muttering a few expletives as I did so, for I heard someone slam a cabinet with enough force to feasibly send the entire fixture a few feet back into the wall. I looked up to glare daggers at-and possibly annihilate-the culprit for adding to my agony...but I quickly shrank back when I met the eyes of the responsible party.

Sasuke looked like he was contemplating snapping my neck: his fingers twitched, his black eyes were filled to the brim with pure detestation, and his lips twisted viscously. His contemptuous aura left me shaken, but I was more disturbed by the rush of blurred memories his face brought crashing upon me.

"_What's stopping you?"_

_I took my shirt off._

"_I win again, _Sakura..._."_

_Skin, tongues, teeth..._

_Then embarrassment, then abandonment:_

"_Heh. Having _fun_, Sasuke-kun, Sakura-chan?"_

_Heat, perfume, and alcohol._

"_Goodnight, Sasuke-kun. Sleep well..." _

_Obvious flirtation and sake-induced confidence._

_Dark eyes tracing my pale body._

And now...mortification and a muddled mind as I gaped at him, my mouth hanging open in shock. I was torn between three different reactions: (1) throwing myself at him, (2) dropping to my knees and begging forgiveness, or (3) running for my life. Instead, I chose a fourth option: standing stupefied and staring dumbly at his infuriated face. That was apparently the wrong choice, for Sasuke sneered savagely at me and stalked out of the room without a word. I staggered back into the broken cabinetry and had to fight my stomach's urge to empty itself.

_That _was Sasuke's reaction after all we had done? He looked absolutely revolted by the mere sight of me! This went past rejection or regret on his part, this was rage. I sank down to the floor and rested my throbbing head on my arms, defeated and dejected. I had hoped we had made progress. I had _thought _he would grudgingly accept our affair as a natural reaction. I hadn't even considered what had just happened. He hadn't just looked at me like I was nothing, he looked at me like I was a gnat to be swatted dead. Instead of taking a step forward, we had taken every possible step back...and then some.

Somehow, I had gone from his lusty little plaything...to a loathed annoyance in a matter of hours.

So I sat alone on the kitchen floor for hours, wallowing in the waves of guilt, desperately trying to understand just what I had done to cause such night and day reactions. _He _had been the one to start things. It was Sasuke who came to me, asked me to spar, and then put his hands all over me! It was Sasuke who left me to deal with the Snake by myself! It was Sasuke who undressed me with his eyes as we passed in the halls! I hadn't started this! I had happily reciprocated, but _Sasuke had initiated everything_! How could he hate me for simply responding to _his _advances? I scanned my memories repeatedly for the horrible catalyst, until I began to question if they had even been reality at all. I frustratedly raked my fingers through my hair and down my neck, stopping as my nails hit a particularly sore spot on my skin. I circled the only anchor to reality I had with my pointer finger. At the very least, I knew I hadn't dreamt it all up in some drunken stupor, but the reality of it all weighed heavily on my mind. I managed to fuck up the first wonderful thing to happen to me in months of isolation, and I didn't even know what I had done wrong.

It was going to tear me apart from the inside out.

* * *

B-T-Dubs: '-hime' is an honorific that basically means 'princess'; Ylang Ylang oil is used in aromatherapy as a type of aphrodisiac...; and yes, Oro is quite creeptastic.

Anyways... I'm going to try REALLY hard to keep the updates coming in a more timely manner. For a while there, I had just kinda completely lost interest in this fic, but it's coming back to me. I do really, really love the reviews you guys give me, and that's what brought my attention back to this fic. :D Oh, and speaking of reviews... I promise you, it was never my intention to offend anybody by not replying to a review, and I apologize if I have managed to offend you in that way..

And finally, I hope you guys like change in pace of the fic (well, the people who have been with me from the beginning will notice the change). Slowing it down a bit will just make it more fun. Build, tension, build! Fufufu. (Anyone else find it that little expression EXTREMELY odd? I never quite understood how that was supposed to sound like a maniacal laugh... Oh, well! Haha.)

Thanks for reading, and please leave me a comment! I'd love to go from 450-500 reviews! I'm serious, I'm gonna freak the fuck out when that happens because I'll be halfway through my goal! :P

XOXO

Endoh


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